Riding coat

Date:

ca. 1760

Culture:

British

Medium:

silk, goat hair

Credit Line:

Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Alan S. Davis Gift, 1976

Accession Number:

1976.147.1

Not on view

Unlike the intricate embroideries and luscious silks of eighteenth–century men's formal costume, sporting ensembles of the period, specifically the man's equestrian uniform echoed the more somber ornamental vein of British dress. Sporting clothing usually exhibited a modest tonality, and was often executed in wool for its warmth, practicality, and durability. The skirt of this riding coat is vented at back for maximum moveability, while the bodice champions an excessive tautness typical of the period. Size of cuff, breadth of skirt, and emphasis on the waist determine the mid-century date of this garment, as the fashionable costume of the eighteenth century was defined more by minor silhouette fluctuations than radically transformative construction techniques.